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Menlowe Ballet races clock in fundraising effort

by Renee Batti

The clock is ticking for a fundraising drive to benefit the nonprofit Menlowe Ballet, launched last year and now preparing for its third major local performance, set for Oct. 5 through 7.

Based at the Menlo Park Academy of Dance studios, the dance troupe is aiming to raise $20,000 to cover the production costs for a new work on the program. "Surfside," created by artistic director Michael Lowe, is an homage to vintage surf music, and includes live music performed by Paul Stinson and John Baker.

So far, the fundraising effort to pay for the production has drawn a healthy response from the community — but there's a hitch. Organized through the online project "Kickstarter," the fundraising campaign is limited in duration, and must reach its $20,000 goal by Wednesday, Sept. 12, according to Lisa Shiveley of Atherton, Menlowe Ballet's executive director.

If the effort fails — it's several thousand dollars away at this point — none of the money already pledged will be collected, and the ballet company is left empty-handed. As of Thursday afternoon (Sept. 6), the campaign had raised about $14,500, and "we'd be crushed to lose that," Ms. Shiveley said.

In a video created for the Kickstarter fundraiser, Ms. Shiveley notes that all money raised during the campaign will go toward costs for the dancers, new costumes that are being created for "Surfside," and other production costs associated with bringing the new work to the stage.

"The executive staff is not paid at this point, so none of your money is going to pay for anything but direct costs" of producing "Surfside," she said.

Go to tinyurl.com/Ballet-919 to see the video and to donate.